Columns for the treatment of liquids by means of particulate material may be used, for example, for the removal of waste metabolites, and particularly nitrogenous poisons, from solutions containing such metabolites. An example of such a process in which activated carbon is used as the particulate material, is described in detail in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 104,446 filed on Dec. 17, 1979.
Such columns are usable in particular for the removal of waste metabolites, such as urea, from a hemofiltrate or the like from patients who suffer from uremia. The columns may also be used for the treatment of a variety of other liquids.
These columns are usually manufactured as a rigid outer casing enclosing the particulate material between two filters. An example of such a column is described in British Pat. No. 1,482,071.
With regard to background art, reference is also made to the above-mentioned U.S. Patent Application No. 104,446, which describes a process for which the unit in accordance with the present invention is particularly appropriate.